Horseshoe



Oct. 1964 J. MANCINI 3,153,452

HORSESHOE Filed Nov. 27, 1965 INVENTOR 00.6?706 L maria/ rv ATTORNEY United States Patent x O 3,153,452 HORSESHOE Joseph L. Mancini, 1216 E. Lafayette Ave., Baltimore, Md. Filed Nov. 27, 1963, Ser. No. 326,626 3 Claims. (Cl. 168-24) The present invention relates to an improved lightweight horseshoe particularly used for racing.

The primary object of the improved horseshoe is to provide a shoe that will collect a minimum of dirt from the turf of the track over which the horse is running.

Another object of the improved horseshoe is to provide a tread that will give maximum traction to the running horse.

A further object of the invention is to provide the improved horseshoe in which the nail heads are provided with maximum support about the opening through which the nails pass.

While several objects of the invention have been pointed out other objects and advantages may be referred to, or become apparent as the nature of the invention is more fully disclosed, which consists in the novel construction as pointed out in the written description, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of of the outer side of the horseshoe.

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the same.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 1.

In describing the invention, like numerals are used to point out like and similar parts throughout the several views.

The shoe 10 is formed much in the same way as they have been in the past, that is, by drop forging. A blank piece of metal in the general form of a horseshoe is placed on an appropriate anvil and a die of the shape desired is secured to the hammer. By a single stoke of the hammer the metal is pressed into the die and at the same time the blow of the hammer compacts the metal giving the metal additional strength.

The inner portion 16' of the shoe 10, which is, the part that fits next to the horses hoof 13, is substantially flat, as shown in FIGURES 2 and 6. The shoe proper is constructed of alight-weight material, such as, aluminum, plastic, etc. At the closed end or toe of the shoe there is a toe plate 12. This toe piece is of a much harder material from that from which the shoe is made,

such as steel. This toe plate is embeded into the shoe at the time of the forging. There is also a pair of heel pieces 14 and 16 placed in the shoe adjacent each side, or heel of the shoe, as best shown in FIGURES 2 and 4. These heel pieces 14 and 16 and the toe piece are gripping elements to aid the horse to get a good purchase on the track or in the turf over which he or she may be running. The toe plate and heel pieces are held in the shoe by being slightly tapered outwardly as they extend into the shoe and when the shoe is first set up to be formed by the drop hammer, these gripping elements are placed in recesses in the shoe blank into which they may be easily placed. However, when the forging of the'shoe takes place the metal of the shoe fills the metal in tightly about the gripping elements and fixedly secure them in place. It will be noted that the gripping elements 14 and 16 may be partly hollow to lighten them up, as shown at 18 in FIGURE 3. In FIGURE 3 there is also illustrated the various features described in detail, it is not intended as a 1 "ice tapered heel wall 18 extending into the shoe member 10.

The shoe It) comprises a sloping area 20 around the inner edge of the shoe, and a sloping outer area 22, preferably at a slightly greater angle. Adjacent the crest of the inner slope 20 is a continuous main rib24 extending from the heel portions 11 and 11' of the shoe to a point adjacent the respective sides of the toe plate 12. Extending outwardly from the main rib 24 are rib segments having portions 30 of substantially the same height as the main rib 24. The segments are angled rearwardly as shown at 30' thereby the segment rib 3t) and 30' flank the forward and outer side of the opening for the nail and the nail head. Therefore, the nail head is flanked from the inside by the main rib 24 and forward and to the outside by the segment rib portions 30 and 30'.

The outer surface of the shoe between these rib segments are recesses and designated by the letter R. Laterally, each recess starts from the rib 24, as shown at 34, and increases in depth as they extend outwardly toward the outer edge of the shoe, as shown at 56. (See particularly FIG. 5.) These recesses also run longitudinally of the shoe and gradually increase in depth toward the toe of the shoe and toward the outer surface of the shoe from their starting points 38 adjacent the portions 30 of the rib segments and extend to points 40 adjacent the adjoining rib segment toward the toe of the shoe, when it curves abruptly to the surface, as shown at 44 in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 illustrates the lateral angle which the recess takes from the rib 24 to the outer edge of the shoe.

The particular shape of the nail hole 50 is shown in FIGURE 4 for accommodating a nail 46 and showing the height of the shoe about the hole. The position of the nail 46 is shown in FIGURES 1 and 6. The nail is provided with an enlarged head 46' and a pronounced taper in the area 47 immediately below the head. This tapered area 47 of the nail is adapted to engage the tapered hole 59. The particular arrangement is to protect the head of the nail. The nail head is supported by the rib elements 24, 30 and 30 against the excess pressure put on it by the running action of the horse. It will be noted, the head is supported toward the toe of the shoe and at each side thereof. The pressure from the turf being in the direction from the heel to the toe of the shoe which prevents the nail head from being bent for ward and consequently having a tendency to loosen the shoe.

The hole 5!} into which the nail fits is formed to snugly fit the nail head, as shown in FIGURES 4 and 6, and provides that only a small portion of the nail head will extend above the ribs 24, 30 and 30'. The nail opening on the heel side of the shoe may extend partly into the forward edge of the recess R, as this is the side from which the turf is being forced against the nail head by pressure from the running action of the horse.

The outwardly sloping recesses R are so formed as to allow the dirt, or turf to be immediately expelled therefrom. The dirt will not pack in the curved surface of the recess R particularly where it is unsupported on one side.

The shoe is of unique structure and is light in construction. The shoe is designed for maximum traction tread and at the same time it is designed to only pick up and hold a minimum of dirt-from the track over which the horse travels.

The heel pieces, or plugs are shown as circular, however these plugs may be of any configuration to fit the requirements of the horse. Also the toe plate 12 may be modified to conform with the needs of the horse.

While the present shoe has been illustrated and its Qlimitation'T as the scope of the invention is best defined 1 and a configurative outer surface, the outer surface of the shoe comprising: a

(a) a toe plate fixedly secured to the outer surface adjacent the toe of the shoe;

(b) an elongated raised rib extending along each side of the shoe, the ribs extending outwardly from the outer surface of the shoe and longitudinally thereof and adjacent the inner edge of the shoe from each of the heel portions of the shoe to a point adjacent the respective lateral edges of the toe plate;

(c) said shoe having along its side portions a plurality of openings therethrough adjacent the outer side of the said ribs, each of the openings adapted tdac'c'oniniodatea tapered headed nail for securing I the shoe to a horses hoof;

(d) raised means extending outwardly from the outer surface of the shoe and laterally from the rib and adjacent the forward edge of the nail opening for supporting the nail heads in the direction of the toe,

the outer surface of the shoe adjacent the outer side 25 edges thereof being provided with a plurality of recesses extending along the side portions of the shoe, each recess extending longitudinally from the a forward edge vof the nail .head supporting means to the adjacent forward nail opening and laterally from the rib to the outer edge of the shoe.

2. A horseshoe as claimed. inclairn 1 wherein the crosssectional lateral forrn ofe a chof the recesses being downwardly in an arcuated'path from the outer edge of the elongated rib to the outer edge of the shoe.

3. A horseshoe is claimed in clairn '1 wherein each of the side recesses forward of the two nail openings adjacent the heel portions extends from the forward side of the nail supporting means at a gradual angle into the outer surface of the shoe and in the direction of the toe toia point adjacent the adjacent nail opening then upwardlyrt o, the top of the said nail opening at a greater angle. 1 a

References Cited in the of this patent v 'UNITED STATES PATENTS 740,623 Bradley et a1. root. 6, 1903 2,084,812 Langlois June 22, 1937 3,050,133 Ketner et a1. Aug. 21, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 423,327 France Apr. 13, 1911 

1. A HORSESHOE INCLUDING TWO SIDE PORTIONS, A TOE PORTION, A PAIR OF HEEL PORTIONS, A SMOOTH INNER SURFACE AND A CONFIGURATIVE OUTER SURFACE, THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SHOE COMPRISING: (A) A TOE PLATE FIXEDLY SECURED TO THE OUTER SURFACE ADJACENT THE TOE OF THE SHOE; (B) AN ELONGATED RAISED RIB EXTENDING ALONG EACH SIDE OF THE SHOE, THE RIBS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SHOE AND LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF AND ADJACENT THE INNER EDGE OF THE SHOE FROM EACH OF THE HEEL PORTIONS OF THE SHOE TO A POINT ADJACENT THE RESPECTIVE LATERAL EDGES OF THE TOE PLATE; (C) SAID SHOE HAVING ALONG ITS SIDE PORTIONS A PLURALITY OF OPENING THERETHROUGH ADJACENT THE OUTER SIDE OF THE SAID RIBS, EACH OF THE OPENINGS ADAPTED TO ACCOMMODATE A TAPERED HEADED NAIL FOR SECURING THE SHOE TO A HORSES'' HOOF; (D) RAISED MEANS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SHOE AND LATERALLY FROM THE RIB AND ADJACENT THE FORWARD EDGE OF THE NAIL OPENING FOR SUPPORTING THE NAIL HEADS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE TOE, THE OUTER SURFACE OF THE SHOE ADJACENT THE OUTER SIDE EDGES THEREOF BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF RECESSES EXTENDING ALONG THE SIDE PORTIONS OF THE SHOE, EACH RECESS EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY FROM THE FORWARD EDGE OF THE NAIL HEAD SUPPORTING MEANS TO THE ADJACENT FORWARD NAIL OPENING AND LATERALLY FROM THE RIB TO THE OUTER EDGE OF THE SHOE. 